This lesson will study the partnership between civic participation and good citizenship. It will provide an opportunity for learners to understand their roles as civic participants. Ultimately students will see that one person can make a difference. By influencing others to become involved, many hands can make light work.

The learners will:

• describe the various forms of civic responsibility.
  
• explain how civic participation benefits the participant and the community.

Anticipatory Set:
From the book “Teen Power Politics: Make Yourself Heard,” read page 67, “Giving Others Their Voice,” to your students. Discuss how the concern of one individual can promote other individuals to come together to make a positive difference in their own community. Specifically ask students to tell you how Celeste motivated others to get involved in their communities. Was Celeste’s story motivating to you?

• Tell your students that in Celeste’s story, she talks about influencing civic and societal policies. Ask your students if they know what social issues are. Define social issues as problems that exist in neighborhoods, communities and the world. Use world hunger as an example. Ask your students if they can think of other social issues that exist today. Write their ideas on the board or a large sheet of paper.
  
  
• Ask your students who they believe is responsible for solving the problems that these social issues cause for communities (government, for profit business, nonprofit organizations, families). Define the nonprofit sector, the governmental sector and the business sector. Discuss how these three sectors provide social and financial resources to communities. Emphasize the role of the nonprofit and all that students wouldn’t have if these nonprofits did not exist.
  
  
• Discuss the importance of youth being involved in their communities, and how civic responsibility is important to our democracy. Ask the learners to give examples of how they can be involved in the community.
  
  
• Discuss the pertinent words that define civic responsibilities. These include citizenship, community involvement, volunteering and core values.
  
  
• Have students list and describe civic/nonprofit groups that exist in their community and allow each student to select a local nonprofit to research on the computer. In their research they should discover the mission of their nonprofit and how volunteers can help them to accomplish their mission.
  
  
• Each student should make a short presentation to the class on a nonprofit. Each student’s goal is to solicit the entire class to take on their agency as a class project for a semester/remainder of the year. For example, the local food pantry is in need of food, clothing, toiletries, etc. Your class will set up three different drives during the year to help the agency accomplish their mission. Or, it may be nearing an election year for a local, state or national election, and your students may choose to volunteer to assist with the process.

The student can help undertake a civic project in the neighborhood. This may include helping a neighbor.